Novelty and educational image transfer unit

ABSTRACT

A novelty and educational image transfer unit is provided which includes a substrate having an inner, central area and a plurality of outer areas in surrounding relationship therewith, a folding assembly for permitting each of the outer areas to fold over and contact the inner area, and a series of individual designs on each of the outer areas, each design being capable of receiving a transferable coloring composition so that as each outer area is folded over the inner area the coloring composition carried by the design for that area is transferred to the inner area forming a composite multicolored design thereon.

11 3,758,695 1451 Sept. 11,1973

1 1 NOVELTY AND EDUCATIONAL IMAGE TRANSFER UNIT [7 5] lnventors: Carol C. Goodman, Skokie; William Feibel, Des Plaines, both of 111.

[73] Assignee: Chicago Display Compan lvlelrose Far k, 111., by sairr'casamaii:

July 30, 1971 (Under Rule 47) [21] Appl. No.: 167,611

[22] Filed:

4,796 1905 Great Britain 35/26 700,347 12/1953 Great Britain 35/26 255,501 10/1927 Italy 35/26 Primary Examiner-Harland S. Skogquist Attorney-James P. Hume et al.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A novelty and educational image transfer unit is provided which includes a substrate having an inner, central area and a plurality of outer areas in surrounding relationship therewith, a folding assembly for permitting each of the outer areas to fold over and contact the inner area, and a series of individual designs on each of the outer areas, each design being capable of receiving a transferable coloring composition so that as each outer areais folded over the inner area the coloring composition carried by the design for that area is transferred to the inner area forming a composite multicolored design thereon.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures WET 1w ARIA ndz NOVELTY AND EDUCATIONAL IMAGE TRANSFER UNIT This .invention relates generally toan image transfer unitand more particularly to an educational and novelty item forchildren in which a series ofindividual designs can be painted, inked or otherwise colored and then individually transferred onto an uncolored area to form a composite design thereon.

Briefly the image transfer unit of this invention includes: 1. a substrate having an inner area centrally disposed thereon and two or more outer areas adjacent to and in surrounding relationship with the inner area; 2. folding means disposed about the periphery of the inner area for separating the inner area from each of the outer areas and for permitting each of the outer areas to fold over and contact a portion of the inner area; and 3. individual designs imposed on each of the outer areas, each design being adapted to receive a transferable coloring composition so that as each outer area is folded over and contacts the inner area the coloring composition carried by the design for that area is transferred to the inner area causing a composite design to be imposed thereon.

This invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which four individual outer flaps each carrying a particular design, surround and can be folded over a central area on which a final composite design is formed; and

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which water activated coloring compositions, used for coloring each of the designs, are carried by .the substrate itself at the four outer corners thereof.

In accordance with this invention and as shown'in FIG. 1, a series of individual flaps or outer areas through 13 are mounted adjacent to and in surrounding relationship with a centrally disposed inner or central area 14. The entire image transfer unit, comprising flaps 10 through 13 and inner area 14, is generally constructed from a paper or cardboard substrate, although any other types of flexible substrate material could also easily be employed. As shown in FIG. 1, each of the outer areas is provided with an individual design, 15 through 18, that is adapted to receive and carry a transferable coloring composition, such as paint, ink, water colors or the like.

Inner area 14, in turn, is provided with a plurality of slots 22 to firmly hold blotter assembly 27 in a fixed position as each of the outer areas is folded over (and thereby transfers coloring composition onto) the blotter. Blotter 27 can be easily inserted'into slots 22 and removed therefrom merely by bending each of the corners of the blotter until they engage or are clear from slots 22 Typically it is desirable to construct blotter 27 from paper or cardboard, but unlike the overall substrate material, blotter 27' preferably has a rather coarse, canvas-like texture suitable for receiving and absorbing coloring composition from each of the outer areas 10 through 13.

Folding .lines 28 are disposed about the periphery of inner area 14 and serve to separate the inner area from each of the outer areas 10-13and to permit each of the outer areas to be folded over and contact a portion of blotter 27. Typically fold lines 28 are formed simply by imposing a series of indentations or perforations in fold lines 28 sufficiently close so that each of the outer-areas 10-13 can be individually detached from inner area 14 after the transfer process has been completed. Inthis way the final composite design 19 on blotter-27 can be mounted, hung or framed if desired. Alternatively, however, fold lines 28 can be formed as a nondetachable continuous crease or groove rather than the series of indentations shown in FIG. 1.,

It should be noted that inner area 14 is also provided with a hook type punch out arrangement 20 and mounting stand type punch out 21 each of which can be used for mounting the finished composite design after the entire transfer processhas-been completed.

In practice the transfer unit of this invention can be operated as follows. Design 15 on flap 10, for example, can first be filled in with a paint, water color or ink type water activated transfer composition having some specific color. After the design 15 is completely filled in, flap 10 is folded over onto and pressed against blotter 27 until design 15 is imposed thereon. Then the design on another flap, design 16 on flap 11 for example, is painted a different color and imposed on blotter 27 to form a second portion of the composite design 19. The. process is repeated for each design on each flap until a final four colored composite design 19 is formed on blotter 27. Then, if desired, each of the flaps 10-13 can be detached from inner area 14 and the blotter 27 and inner area mounted either by means of hook 20 or mounting stand 21.

It should be understood that virtually any type of transferable coloring composition can be used to'color the designs 15-18 on flaps 10-13. For ease of operation, however,it isdesirable to use some type of water activated paint or ink. In some, embodiments of the invention, printed ink or paint of varying colors can be preprinted on each of the designs 15-18. In this way a child using the invention need only wet his brush with water and then apply it to each of the varying colored designs 15-18 to activate the'preprinted paint orink thereon. I

' As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the preprinted coloring compositions 30-33 can be'printed in each corner of substrate 40. Thus, for example, printed ink,

printed paint chips or similar materials could be preapplied and ready for use on any given substrate. Each of the coloring compositions can be activated by water and individually applied to each of the designs 34-37. For example, coloring composition 31 can be used for design 34, composition 32 for design 35, composition 33 for design 36 and composition 30 for design 37. In this way a child using the transfer unit of this invention can be taught to correlate a specific color with a particular portion of the final composite design. Fold lines 38 shown in FIG. 2 surround both inner area 41, each of the outer areas 42-45 as well as each of the corner areas 46-49 which carry the preprinted coloring compositions. Thus, each of the outer areas and corner areas can be detached from inner area 41 after they have been used.

It should benoted that the embodiment of this invention illustrated in FIG. 2 does not employ a blotter, but rather uses inn erarea 41 to receive each of the individual designs from outer areas 42-45. Naturally, inner area 41 could be provided with a blotter of the type shown in FIG. l if desired:

Although the embodiments of this invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 each show four rectangular outer areas surrounding a rectangular inner area,-it should be understood that any number of various shaped outer and/or inner areas could also be used in the practice of this invention.

The transfer unit of this invention could be easily employed as single units, in multiple units in books or if desired on the back portion of cereal boxes or the like. The numerous advantages of this invention are apparent from the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The units are compact, low cost, and capable of use by either preschool or school age children. The use of preprinted, water activated, coloring compositions either on the designs themselves, as shown in FIG. 1, or in corner areas as shown in FIG. 2 eliminate the need for purchasing paint, ink or water colors. In addition, the detachable nature of the outer flaps allow the child using the invention to prepare a final multicolored composite design that is suitable for mounting or framing. From an educational standpoint, of course, a child can easily prepare a multicolored composite design in a series of individual steps and can observe the coaction and contribution of each different color for each portion of the final design. In addition, the unit of this invention can be used to teach a child to follow a sequence of steps and instructions, first by coloring different designs with different colors and then by individ ually detaching each outer area after it has been used in making the final composite design.

It should be understood of course that various modifications, variations, and changes can be made in the specific embodiments of this invention as disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

.1. An image transfer unit comprising:

a rectangular-shaped paper substrate having a rectangular central area disposed thereon and at least eight rectangular outer areas in surrounding relationship with said central area, four of said outer areas being spaced about the periphery of said central area and having one. edge directly adjacent to and in mating relationship with;a corresponding edge of said central area, and the remaining corner outer areas being individually disposed in and filling the spaces between the four mating outer areas;

folding means disposed about the periphery of said central area to permit each of the four mating outer areas to fold-over and contact a portion of said central area;

water-activated coloring compositions deposited on each of the corner areas; and

individual designs imposed on each of the four mat-' ing areas, said designs being adapted to receive coloring composition from one or more of said corner areas, so that as each mating area is folded over and contacts said central area the coloring composition carried by the design for that area is individually transferred to the central area causing a composite design to be imposed thereon.

2. The image transfer unit of claim 1 which is further characterized in that a removable blotter means for receiving the individual designs transferred from each of said mating areas is mounted on said central area, said blotter means being adapted for insertion into and removal from a plurality of slots in said central area.

3. The image transfer unit .of claim 2' wherein said coloring compositions comprise water-activated printed ink and wherein each of the coloring compositions deposited on each of the corner outer areas has a different color.

UNITED 'S' EATES i CERTIFICATEOF CORRECTION.

Patent: N 3.758.695 gd "S nt; 11 1973 Inventor(s) It is certif id that e rn n r111 abov-i'dntified pa t'ent and that said Letters" Patent;are hereby{cprtnited as shown below:

Column 4, line ,;1 ;5,f afte r orhi ""[insert:%ouger"-,

Signed fa rid sgaledQbhi-ii ls-fiadeiy of January 1971p; I V

(SEAL) Attest:

F RENE"DQQTEGTME ER if EDWARD M.FLETCHEB,J R. v k

1 ,nAct'ingfcommis sioner of [Patents Attesting Office'rK 

1. An image transfer unit comprising: a rectangular-shaped paper substrate having a rectangular central area disposed thereon and at least eight rectangular outer areas in surrounding relationship with said central area, four of said outer areas being spaced about the periphery of said central area and having one edge directly adjacent to and in mating relationship with a corresponding edge of said central area, and the remaining corner outer areas being individually disposed in and filling the spaces between the four mating outer areas; folding means disposed about the periphery of said central area to permit each of the four mating outer areas to fold-over and contact a portion of said central area; water-activated coloring compositions deposited on each of the corner areas; and individual designs imposed on each of the four mating areas, said designs being adapted to receive coloring composition from one or more of said corner areas, so that as each mating area is folded over and contacts said central area the coloring composition carried by the design for that area is individually transferred to the central area causing a composite design to be imposed thereon.
 2. The image transfer unit of claim 1 which is further characterized in that a removable blotter means for receiving the individual designs transferred from each of said mating areas is mounted on said central area, said blotter means being adapted for insertion into and removal from a plurality of slots in said central area.
 3. The image transfer unit of claim 2 wherein said coloring compositions comprise water-activated printed ink and wherein each of the coloring compositions deposited on each of the corner outer areas has a different color. 